Seasoning system and method

ABSTRACT

An improved seasoning system  10, 11, 13  uniformly coats a food product with the desired amount of seasoning, with the seasoning rate preferably being controlled as a function of the product volume signals from the sensors  26, 34, 108  and  110.  The seasoning system preferably utilizes linear motion conveyors and either a rotating drum  36  or a deflector  98  and a second seasoning unit  112, 114  between linear conveyors  94, 96.  Oil may be sprayed onto food products and tumbled in a drum  16  which both rotates and moves in a reciprocating manner with the conveyor tray  14.  An improved seasoning tray  123, 144, 148  has a planar floor  122, 138, 162  with an angled discharge edge  124, 137, 182  for uniformly distributing seasoning on the product. The seasoning system minimizes damage to the food product and uniformly coats the product with a desired amount of seasoning.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to equipment and techniques forseasoning snack foods, such as chips, in a food processing facility.More particularly, this invention relates to significant improvementswhich evenly and consistently coat the product with seasoning, therebyreducing the amount of seasoning used and/or increasing the customer'sdesire for the snack food product.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The food processing industry has long recognized the desirabilityof seasoning snack foods, such as potato chips, in a consistent and evenmanner. This industry has thus recognized that significant cost savingsand increased customer satisfaction can be obtained when each chip froma bag of potato chips is consistently and uniformly coated with theseasoning. As with other industries, the food processing industry isalso interested in reducing costs by utilizing equipment which performsimproved functions or performs the same functions at a lower cost thanexisting equipment. Moreover, the food processing industry recognizesthat equipment components which contact the product should be configuredfor ease of cleaning, thereby maintaining the desired sanitaryconditions for handling food products.

[0003] There are numerous problems that exist with current equipment andtechniques for seasoning snack foods. As a primary example, existingequipment and techniques do not correctly match the desired amount ofseasoning added to the incoming product flow. Current seasoningequipment relies upon the applied seasoning mass (weight) to be matchedto the mass (weight) of the incoming product in an attempt to achievethe desired proportion of seasoning to the incoming product flow. Thistechnique thus measures the weight of the product and in responsethereto applies the selected amount of seasoning, although the industryrecognizes that the customer is judging the appearance and taste of thechips based on area of product covered by the seasoning. This differenceis critical for incoming products with a varying density. Since thedensity of the incoming snack food product before seasoning may vary byas much as twenty percent (20%) or more, the chip producer normallyunder-seasons or over-seasons, depending on the varying differencebetween the density of the incoming product and the density of the “baseproduct” which matched the desired amount of seasoning. Since the weightof the seasoning may not be insignificant to the weight of the overallproduct, and since seasoning is recognized as either the most expensiveraw ingredient or one of the most expensive raw ingredients in mostsnack food products, the over-application of seasoning by a producer orthe loss of business based upon under-seasoning represents millions ofdollars each year to the food processing industry.

[0004] For most snack food products, the area of product to be coveredby the seasoning to meet the customer's appearance desires is known tobe closely related to the volume of the incoming product to be seasoned.Thus conventional seasoning equipment, which weighs the incomingproduct, has attempted to “estimate” the volume of incoming productbased upon measured weight and various other factors and formulas. Thesederived volumetric numbers are, however, inherently based upon weightmeasurements. The incoming product is conventionally weighed by a scalewhich may be built into the incoming product conveyor. The foodprocessing industry has thus long desired techniques which wouldreliably measure the volume of the incoming product so that seasoningcould be more accurately applied to produce the desired amount ofseasoning on the area of the individual chips.

[0005] Current methods of checking the actual seasoning applied to thechip rely on taking a weight-based sample of a base product, applying aweight-based sample of seasoning and then monitoring the color or saltcontent of this mixture against periodic samples taken during aproduction run. Thus, even the method of checking the applied seasoningcontinues to rely upon weight-based correlations, although it is knownthat the area of chip closely matches the volume of the product, andthus a volumetric measurement system would be more accurate than aweight-based system.

[0006] Another problem with seasoning systems is that the seasoning isnot evenly dispersed over the area of the product. Seasoning isconventionally brought to the incoming product through a tube attachedto the end of an auger, with a row of holes in the tube that allow theseasoning to be pushed out by the auger and thus fall over the incomingproduct. These tubes must be continually monitored to insure that theholes do not clog. It is also difficult to correctly use this equipmentso that the seasoning is dispersed over the entire area of the incomingproduct. In addition, these tubes must have their settings manuallychanged as new seasonings are used due to the seasoning granule styleand its affect on seasoning flowing out of the adjustable holes in thetube.

[0007] Continued problems with the application of seasoning using theabove auger have led to the use of a vibratory conveyor tray with a biascut discharge to apply the seasoning. Use of this vibratory scarf plateavoids the necessity of using a tube with adjustable holes. Thissolution, however, creates new problems since the vibratory conveyorthat moves the incoming product is the motion that moves the seasoningon the scarf plate. Varying product density has a significant effect onthe travel rate of a product being moved with a vibratory conveyor, andaccordingly the time shift between the measurement of the base productand the application of seasoning to that measured product causes amismatch between the seasoning and the base product. Moreover, vibratoryconveyors tend to develop a build-up of seasoning over time andtherefore have sanitation problems or flow problems due to unevendispersion. To eliminate this time shift, a second separate vibratorydrive has been used to move the scarf plate, so that the travel rates ofthe base product and the seasoning could be more evenly matched. Thisseparate drive mechanism for the scarf plate increases the cost, weight,and complexity of the seasoning system, and also prevents the systemfrom being easily cleaned, particularly during seasoning changeoperations.

[0008] Tumblers are conventionally used to mix the incoming product andthe seasoning. Many of these rotating drums are fabricated fromstainless steel, although some newer drums have been fabricated fromhard plastic. While these tumbler drums effectively mix the base productand the seasoning, current drum technology also causes undesirably highproduct breakage.

[0009] Some products, such as tortilla chips, require oil to be sprayedon the product prior to the application of seasoning. If the seasoningand oil spray operations were performed in the same tumbler, cleaningthe tumbler becomes very difficult because seasoning and oil tend tocake in the drum. It is desired therefore to apply oil upstream of theseasoning operation. Accordingly, an upstream tumble drum for mixing theproduct with the oil and a downstream tumble drum for mixing the oiledproduct with the seasoning has been used, although this again increasesequipment costs. Moreover, the additional second drum requires thesacrifice of a vertical elevation in the product line, representing theheight of the product incoming to the additional drum verses the heightof the product discharged from that drum. The addition of this secondtumble drum to a product line may thus adversely affect the height ofthe product as it moves through the food processing system. Also, theaddition of another piece of equipment to an existing system may createproblems with the increased product travel length of the new system.

[0010] Finally, and perhaps most importantly, significant problems existbetween the seasoning system and downstream equipment, such as scale andbagging equipment. Generally, the food processing industry does notutilize systems which provide for real time monitoring of activities andchanges to the operation of the food handling mechanisms to optimize thesystem. Conveyor systems which feed the downstream scale or bagger areconventionally turned “on” or “off” in response to either an on/offsignal or a modulating signal from the scale or bagger. Steady state runtime is important to providing consistent seasoning. To maximize theamount of steady state run time, the upstream conveyor system desirablyallows for small amounts of accumulation of product within the conveyorsystem. Since the prior art conventionally uses only a feedback system,however, neither the upstream seasoning system nor the distributionsystem achieves the proper flow-of product to the downstream scale orbagger.

[0011] The disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the presentinvention, and an improved seasoning system and method of seasoning foodproducts, such as chips, is subsequently disclosed which overcomes manyof the problems of prior art seasoning systems and techniques.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The present invention provides a seasoning system and methodwhich offers superior seasoning coverage, ease of use, and economicaloperation with superior control for various types of food products.According to one embodiment particularly designed for high flowcapacity, seasoning is reliably dispersed without the need forcontinually adjusting the system, for cleaning clogged tube holes, orfor cleaning the seasoning build up on a vibratory conveyor system.Seasoning is dispersed in a manner which provides uniform productcoverage and thus the elimination of product stream “skips” bypreferably dispersing seasoning in response to a signal which actuallymeasures volume and is thus truly indicative of product area. Both thissystem and the subsequently described system can also be easily cleaned,thereby maintaining high sanitation conditions.

[0013] A second embodiment of an improved seasoning system isparticularly well suited for seasoning systems which pass a relativelylow or medium quantity of product per hour through the processingsystem. Both embodiments allow for an automatic and exact application ofseasoning to the base product without the seasoning application beingaffected by changes in the density of the base product. Both seasoningsystems may output a finished food product with superior appearance andtaste, while simultaneously saving a significant amount of money due tohigh or low seasoning applications attributable to varying productdensity.

[0014] A low breakage tumbler is disclosed in the high-volume seasoningsystem for gently handling the product while achieving the desired mixof the seasoning and the base product to achieve the desired seasoningcoverage. The seasoning system of this invention both facilitatesoperator input and allows the system to be custom configured onsitewithout the need for complicated programming.

[0015] It is an object of the present invention to provide an improvedseasoning system which offers superior seasoning coverage of a product,low product breakage, quality repeatable results, and is easy to use andeconomical to operate.

[0016] It is an object of the present invention to provide an improvedseasoning system which senses the volume of the incoming product ratherthan the weight of the incoming product stream, and disperses seasoningas a function of the sensed volume measurement. As a feature of theinvention, quality control may be improved by comparing the standardwith a measured sample as a function of the product volume rather thanproduct weight.

[0017] It is a related object of the invention to provide a seasoningsystem which reduces or eliminates seasoning fluctuation variation dueto change in base product density.

[0018] It is a feature of the invention that the seasoning system mayprovide a continuous “curtain” of seasoning to the product withoutproblems associated with continual adjustments and auger hole clogging.Moreover, seasoning may be achieved utilizing a single conveyor, therebyeliminating one of the two conveyors commonly provided in prior artsystems.

[0019] It is a further feature of the invention that product volume maybe measured with conventional photoelectric eye and/or ultrasonic sensortechnology so that the volume measurement system does not directlycontact the product.

[0020] It is another feature of the invention that the conveyor traysusing the seasoning system may be easily removed and cleaned.Conventional vibratory conveyor trays are heavy and commonly requireremoval with tools and have high seasoning build up compared to linearmotion trays.

[0021] Yet another feature of the invention is that differentembodiments of a seasoning conveyor are disclosed for uniformlydistributing seasoning on the product. Each embodiment may be structuredand operated to uniformly distribute seasoning on the product.

[0022] Still a further feature of the invention is that the seasoningsystem, when utilizing tumblers, preferably employs plastic tumblerliners with formed flights set at a selected angle for proper seasoningblend and minimum breakage.

[0023] It is a feature of the present invention that the seasoningsystem may use improved flow leveler technology which eliminates productfluctuations due to gate dumps and provides an even and constant streamof product to the seasoning equipment.

[0024] The tumbler of the present invention also preferably provides fora center discharge as opposed to an off-center discharge, therebyminimizing product breakage.

[0025] The seasoning system may be reliably operated in a manner whichoffers a high accumulation capacity to achieve continuous seasoning runsduring intermittent downstream equipment operation, e.g., intermittentstopping of the scaling and/or bagging equipment. The seasoning systemthus achieves consistency in the seasoning application with minimalstop/start problems.

[0026] These and further objects, features and advantages of theseasoning system and method according to the present invention willbecome apparent for the following detailed description, whereinreference is made to the figures in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027]FIG. 1 is a highly simplified illustration illustrating oneembodiment of a seasoning system according to the present invention.

[0028]FIG. 2 is a more detailed illustration of the mixing modulegenerally shown in FIG. 1.

[0029]FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the mixing module shown inFIG. 2 with the tumbler liner removed.

[0030]FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the removabletumbler liner.

[0031]FIG. 5 is a pictorial view of the tumbler generally shown in FIG.2.

[0032]FIG. 6 is a simplified illustration of another embodiment of aseasoning system according to the present invention which isparticularly well suited for low or medium product flow through rates.

[0033]FIG. 7 is a pictorial view of both the seasoning pan and a productpan for the seasoning system of the present invention.

[0034]FIG. 8 is a top view of an alternate embodiment of the seasoningconveyor according to the present invention positioned above a producttray.

[0035]FIG. 9 is cross sectional view of the seasoning conveyor shown inFIG. 8.

[0036]FIG. 10 is a simplified illustration of yet another embodiment ofa seasoning system according the present invention which is well suitedfor low or medium product flow through rates.

[0037]FIG. 11 is a pictorial view of the seasoning conveyor shown inFIG. 10.

[0038]FIG. 12 depicts an alternate embodiment of a portion of aseasoning conveyor.

[0039]FIG. 13 is yet another embodiment of a portion of the seasoningconveyor.

[0040]FIG. 14 is an embodiment of a seasoning conveyor which utilizes arod spreader.

[0041]FIG. 15 is an alternate embodiment of a portion of a seasoningconveyor which utilizes a curvilinear shaped edge.

[0042]FIG. 16 is a pictorial view of yet another embodiment of aseasoning conveyor including a shaft driven by a motor.

[0043]FIG. 17 is a side view, partially in cross-section, of anotherembodiment of a seasoning system according to the present invention.

[0044]FIG. 18 is a top view of a portion of the seasoning system shownin FIG. 17.

[0045]FIG. 19 is a side view, partially in cross-section, of yet anotherembodiment of a seasoning system according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0046] As explained subsequently, FIGS. 1-5 disclose one embodiment of asystem according to the present invention, and FIG. 6 discloses anotherembodiment of the present invention. The preferred seasoningdistribution pan as shown in FIG. 7 may be used in either embodiment.

[0047]FIG. 1 simplistically depicts one seasoning system 10 of thepresent invention which is particularly well suited for food productseasoning applications wherein the product throughput is relativelyhigh. Existing seasoning systems are capable of handling severalthousand pounds of incoming food product per hour, and even higherproduct throughput rates for future equipment are likely.

[0048] The seasoning system 10 starts with product incoming to theseasoning system having the product flow rate regulated by a separateconveyor or a proportional gate such as the gate mechanism 12 generallyshown in FIG. 1. Other proportional gate mechanisms or conventional gatemechanisms may be used to control the product flow rate into conveyor14. A preferred proportional gate is disclosed in pending U.S.application Ser. No. 09/251,516 filed on Feb. 17, 1999, which is herebyincorporated by reference. The seasoning system 10 includes a conveyor14 which, as explained subsequently, may be powered to produce thedesired linear motion to move product along the tray by the driveassembly shown in FIG. 2. Only the tray or pan of the conveyor 14 isshown in FIG. 1. The seasoning conveyor 14 may include a flow levelingdevice to ensure a fairly uniform level of product moving along theconveyor. A suitable flow leveling device may include a lateral row ofinclined pins 17 and another row of inclined pins 19. Further detailsregarding a preferred flow leveling device are disclosed in U.S.application Ser. No. 09/320,355 filed on May 26, 1999.

[0049] The primary components of the seasoning system as shown in FIG. 1are a mixing module 15, a seasoning module 35, and an improved seasoningpan or tray 32. For this exemplary application, the food productdiscussed below is potato chips. Those skilled in the art will recognizethe benefits of the present invention to other foods products.

[0050] The mixing module 15 includes a linear motion conveyor 14 and atumble drum 16. The product thus moves past spray nozzles 20, 22 and 24each supplied with a desired spray, such as oil, from spray header 18.The spray nozzles may spray chips on the conveyor 14 and/or within thedrum 16. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that potato chips arenot usually sprayed with oil, and that the oil spray operation isdescribed herein since oil or other liquid spray is conventionallysprayed on other food products.

[0051] The depth of the product in the tray 14 can be reliably sensed bysensor 26. Various sensors may be used for sensing the vertical heightof the top layer of the product being conveyed and thus directly sensingthe depth of the product in the tray. The preferred sensing techniquedoes not require that any product be contacted by the sensor. Apreferred photooptic sensor may utilize dual photo eyes to substantiallyreduce operator adjustment. The purpose of the sensor and its role inthe operation of the seasoning system is discussed below.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 2, the linear motion conveyor 14 includes anelongate tray 42 for moving goods longitudinally along the tray. Thetray 42 has a semicircular tray floor 44 for supporting the transportedgoods thereon.

[0053] The conveyor 14 includes a base 46 that may be supported on aplurality of adjustable leg supports 48. A plurality of substantiallyvertical support members 58, 60 are pivotally connected at 59, 61 to thebase 46, and are similarly pivotally connected to the tray 42 as shownin FIG. 3. The support members 58, 60 thus extend upward to pivots thatare connected to the tray 42. Other types of support members may be usedfor supporting the tray, including vertical supports for suspending thetray from ceiling structures.

[0054] The conveyor 14 includes a fixed support 50 that is rigidlyconnected to base 46. A powered drive mechanism, and preferably anelectric drive motor 52, is provided for powering crank arm 63, which inturn is pivotally connected to one of the tray supports. The powereddrive mechanism cyclically moves the tray supports 58, 60 forward andbackward, thereby similarly moving the tray 42 a desired stroke lengthwith each cycle. The powered drive mechanism 52 thus moves the trayslowly forward and then more quickly backward, with the goods slidingalong the tray during the backward movement of the tray 42. A pluralityof operator selected controls 54 are shown for regulating operation ofthe powered drive mechanism 52, i.e., to regulate the frequency of theconveyor movement, which is typically about 200 strokes per minute. Anautomated control station 56, which may include one or more computers,may also be provided for automatically controlling operation of thedrive motor 52. The stroke length for linear motion conveyors typicallyvaries from 1 inch to 2 inches. In an exemplary application, the drivemechanism 52 imparts a desired stroke length of from 1.4 to 2.0 inches,and preferably about 1.6 inches, to the conveyor tray 42 and cyclicallymoves the tray in the forward and the backward directions. Furtherdetails with respect to suitable drive mechanisms for a linear motionconveyor are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,351,807 and 5,794,757. Asuitable machinery mount 48 for achieving the desired inclination to thebase 46 and thus the tray 42 is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,678.

[0055] The drive motor 52 also preferably powers one or morecounterweights 66, as shown in FIG. 2. Each counterweight may besupported on one or more vertical supports 68 pivotally connected to thebase 46. Counterweight movement in the forward and backward directionsmay be obtained via crank arm 64 powered by motor 52. The counterweightsare sized for minimizing vibration and “knocking” of the conveyor drivemechanism.

[0056] Referring to FIG. 1, both sides of the product may be reliablycoated in the tumble drum 16. For food products which do not utilize aspray, mixing module 15 may thus be omitted from the system 10. For thepresent, it should be understood that the drive mechanism for the linearmotion tray 14 as shown in FIG. 1 also preferably drives the tumbler 16which has its own rotary drive mechanism 72, as shown in FIG. 2. Thetumbler 16 as generally shown in FIG. 1 may thus be moved both linearlybackwards and forwards with the tray 14, with the drum also rotating thedesired speed by the drive motor 72. This feature allows the drum tooutput product in a continuous process without the tumbler drum axisbeing inclined. This may be very important to the operator, since the“horizontal” or non-inclined drum axis for the drum 16 results in verylittle if any product height in the conveying system line being lost.

[0057] The product is thus fed to linear motion conveyor 28, which alsoincludes a linear motion conveyor tray preferably powered by the drivemechanism simplistically shown in FIG. 2. The depth of product in thetray of the conveyor 28, if desired, may again be sensed by depth sensor34. The seasoning tray 32 may be secured to the tray of conveyor 28, andthus moves in a reciprocating manner in response to the linear motionconveyor drive. Seasoning may be supplied to the tray 32 by conventionalauger 30.

[0058] The seasoning module 35 thus includes a linear motion productconveyor 28 and a seasoning tray 32, which together convey seasonedproduct into the seasoning tumble drum 36. The depth sensor 34 thussenses the depth of the product in the tray of conveyor 28 at aparticular location within the seasoning module. This depth sensormeasurement is taken within a tray with a fixed configuration. A signalfrom sensor 34 of the elevation or depth sensed is thus directly relatedto a product volume signal. A horizontal motion conveyor is preferablyused to measure the varying bed depth and thus the varying volume ofproduct passing along the conveyor at any point in time, since ahorizontal motion conveyor travel rate for varying product bed depthsand product densities is substantially uniform. Since product movesalong a linear motion conveyor at a highly controlled product travelrate, this enables one to determine the actual volume of product movingwithin the seasoning system at any selected location, and therebyautomatically control the drive motor 13 which powers the proportionalupstream gate 12 to match the requirements of a downstream scale/baggingsystem 40. This volume measurement also controls the motor 31 poweringthe auger 30, and thereby controls the amount of seasoning delivered bythe auger 30. If a conventional gate rather than a proportional gatesuch as gate 12 is utilized, the speed of the upstream conveyor system,such as the Fastback™ conveyor system available from Heat and Control,Inc., may be adjusted to control the amount of product being deliveredto the conveyor 14.

[0059] The seasoning tumbling drum 36 may be designed and sized forhandling high product flow rates, with the axis 37 inclined relative tothe horizontal linear motion tray of conveyor 28. The tumbling drum 36thus coats the product on all sides with the seasoning.

[0060] The output from the tumble drum may supply a cross feed conveyor38, which again may be of the Fastback™ configuration discussed above.The cross feed conveyor 38 may then transfer the product to conventionaldownstream equipment 40. Those skilled in the art will understand thatthe equipment 40 may be a product scale or packaging system, or may beother process system equipment.

[0061] According to the method of the invention, the seasoning system 10preferably employs horizontal motion conveyors, such as conveyors 14,28, and 38 as shown in FIG. 1, and one or more ultrasonic photo electricsensors 26, 34 sense the depth of the product, and thus the volume ofproduct, moving through the seasoning system at a selected location. Thesystem 10 has benefits from the sanitary design of the tray of thehorizontal motion conveyor, which may be made from stainless steel, andthe ability of the horizontal motion conveyor to convey varying beddepths without changing travel rates. This permits the use of aconventional program which recognizes the fixed measurements of the trayand the sensors to effectively measure the actual volume of the productgoing through the system which, as explained above, highly correlates tothe area of the product. The output from the sensors 26, 34 thus allowsa computer to automatically control both the flow rate of productpassing to and through the seasoning system (by controlling the motor 13and the drive motor powering the linear motion conveyors), and the flowrate of seasoning applied to the incoming product (by controlling themotor 31). The seasoning applicator 30, which may be a simple augerstyle system without adjustable port holes, thereby properly meters theamount of seasoning applied to the incoming product. Measuring thevolume of the product with the sensors 26, 34 thus eliminatesfluctuations in seasoning as a function of product density, and thusprovides a more accurate method of seasoning the product according tocustomer's expectations. The same product volume measurement system maybe obtained utilizing the depth sensors 108 and 110 shown in the FIG. 6embodiment.

[0062] The seasoning system of the present invention thus takes thedesired amount of product required by the downstream equipment 40 andfeeds the product forward to the seasoning system so that the inflow ofproduct is more closely matched to the needs of the downstream equipment40 which, for example, may be bagging equipment. The seasoning systemthus provides a constant stream of product to the downstream equipment,and achieves smooth product flow with a minimal of product damage.Seasoning system 10 also reduces accumulation requirements for theconveyor system. In addition to a feed forward signal, a feedback signalmay be utilized to accommodate the on/off responses required by filmchanges and other interruptions in the flow to downstream equipment 40.

[0063] For the present, it should be understood that the system asdisclosed above has benefits when used in various product distributionlines, including lines with or without online seasoning systems. Thesystem of the present invention allows a feed forward signal from theproduct volume sensors 26, 34, 108, and 110 to be coupled with aproportional gate such as gate 12 in a distribution line which can thendirect product to, for example, the proper bagging unit of a baggingsystem. Each volume depth measurement sensor 26, 34, 108 and 110 may usedual photo eyes to eliminate manual photo eye adjustments. Since thevolume may be reliably measured without the measurement systemcontacting the product, this technique eliminates weigh-belt trackingand reduces sanitation and maintenance concerns. This volumetricmeasurement system thus improves overall performance of the entiresystem for processing food products by providing quality feed product tothe scales and/or baggers.

[0064] One or more linear motion conveyors within the system may thus besped up or slowed down to achieve the desired product rate to optimizethe performance of the downstream equipment. The rate of product movingalong each of the linear motion conveyors in the system may thus becarefully controlled to achieve the optimum desired speed for thatparticular conveyor. One can thus incorporate linear motion conveyors tonumerous food product handling systems and control the operation of eachconveyor in the system determined as a function of the entire systemneeds based upon the measured volume of the product at specificlocations in the system. The system may thus supply product to severalbagging units which are intermittently operated at a higher than normalspeed rate to compensate for the loss of one or more baggers from thesystem due, for example, to film changes or other problems. The systemfor sensing product volume offers benefits to the overall packingefficiency, management control, and reduced product accumulation in thefood processing system. These benefits, in turn, reduce equipment cost,eliminate product breakage, and reduce the dwell time associated withaccumulation that can cause stale product.

[0065] The mixing module 15 as shown in FIG. 1 incorporates both the oilspray and the tumble action into a horizontal motion conveyor. This canbe accomplished with a tumbler sized to be moved with the tray 14 sincethe application of even oil spray is not as critical as even seasoningdispersion. The system as shown in FIG. 1 has significant advantages,particularlywhen theflowvolumes can be accommodated by a relativelysmall size tumbler 16. The module 15 as shown in FIG. 1 eliminates theneed to use an inclined tumbler since the conveyor 14 is providing theforward movement of the product through the module, therebysignificantly reducing cost and space requirements. The horizontaltumble drum 16 could have its own linear motion drive mechanism and thusbe supplied with incoming product from an upstream piece of equipmentwhich was not a linear motion conveyor.

[0066] Seasoning system 10 as shown in FIG. 1 thus applies seasoningbased on the measured volume of product rather than the weight of theproduct. The characteristics inherent in the linear motion conveyor,such as constant traveling rates with varying bed depths and zeroseasoning build up, allow the sensor to accurately measure the volume ofthe product at any point within the system.

[0067] With respect to both the system 10 as shown in FIG. 1, theseasoning system 11 shown in FIG. 6, or the seasoning system 13 as shownin FIG. 10, the discharge from the seasoning system is free of flights,thereby facilitating cleaning and allowing for a center discharge asopposed to an off-center discharge, thereby further preventing productbreakage and reducing spill points. Each of the seasoning systems asdisclosed in FIGS. 1 and 6 offer additional accumulation capacity,thereby allowing for continuous seasoning runs even during intermittentdownstream operations.

[0068] To operate any one of the seasoning systems 10, 11 or 13, theoperator may input signals to the control panel, such as panel 150,which includes an operator input keyboard 152, a computer 156 anddisplay screen 154. The operator may select the seasoning line he wishesto alter on the panel display screen 154, which may simplisticallyillustrate the overall product distribution and seasoning system. Theoperator may also input signals indicative of the desired bag size andbag speed, or the desired pounds or kilograms per hour, of outputrequired by that seasoning line. The operator then chooses a selectedseasoning recipe and simply starts the system.

[0069] According to a preferred embodiment, the control logic withincomputer 156 may assume operation of the seasoning system, therebyautomatically and constantly adjusting and monitoring both the baseproduct input and the seasoning delivery amounts to achieve the desiredhigh quality results. The operator input for bag size and bag speed, orfor throughput rates, thus determines the correct throughput settingsfor the operation of the system gates and conveyors. A particularconveyor may thus be sped up or slowed down to increase or decrease thethroughput rate for that conveyor, which in turn may affect theoperation of downstream conveyors. Since the instantaneous flow rate ofthe volume of product to the seasoning system may thus be reliablymonitored, the seasoning trays 32, 100, 112 may be carefully controlledso that the seasoning output for the selected seasoning recipe meets theexact demands of the incoming product. If desired, the operator has theability to manually adjust the seasoning amount based on actual qualitycontrol test results by inputting data to the computer 156 via keyboard152.

[0070] Unlike prior art systems, the seasoning system of the presentinvention provides-for sequential feedback to all controlling parametersof the system, with the downstream equipment requirements, such as thenumber and size of the bags to be processed by the bagging equipment,being input by the seasoning operator at the control panel 150. Ratherthan merely turn components of the seasoning equipment on and off, thesystem of the present invention may reliably operate each of thosepieces of equipment at a desired and separate product flow rate.Accordingly, the seasoning equipment operation may be primarily operatedin a “sweet spot”, which is the optimum uniform equipment operation toachieve the desired results with relatively high throughput rates.Control system 150 may thus input signals to all equipment based uponthe determined product volume measurements at various points in thesystem, and calculate the desired speed or other operation of each pieceof equipment to operate at a specific rate or in a predictable mannerfor achieving the desired mixture of product and seasoning beinguniformly supplied to the downstream equipment. Proportional gates maythus reliably control the input to the seasoning system and/or the inputat various stages of the seasoning system operation. Since themeasurement system of the present invention allows for the accuratemeasurement of product flow rate at various points in the system, eachconveyor, tumbler, and seasoning auger may be operated at an optimumrate based upon the real time operation of the downstream scale orbagging equipment.

[0071]FIG. 2 is a more complete representation of the linear motionconveyor 14 and the tumbler 16 generally shown in FIG. 1. In anexemplary application, the drive conveyor as shown in FIG. 2 may beelectrically powered by a one horsepower motor (0.75 kw). The conveyordrive may move the tray 42 in the desired forward/backward motion alonga linear spacing of approximately 2.0 inches, and may reciprocate the 42tray at approximately 200 cycles per minute.

[0072]FIG. 3 depicts an end view of the drive mechanism described above.Pivotal support 60 supports the frame 70 for the drum assembly 16.Brackets 78, 82 are thus each fixed to the frame 70 with the pivotalconnection 76, 80 interconnecting the reciprocating supports 60 with therotating drum assembly. The drive motor 72 thus rotates the drum 74 andthus the product contained therein. Removable liner 88 as discussedbelow has been removed from the rotating drum 74 to better depict theother components shown in FIG. 3. When in use, the liner 88 willnormally be secured to the rotating drum 74 by conventional securingmembers.

[0073]FIG. 4 illustrates a relatively soft pliable liner fabricated froma food grade plastic for positioning within the interior of the rotatingdrum 74. Liner 88 may be easily and quickly removed and replaced withanother liner for different seasoning changes. The liner preferablyincorporates rounded edges of its flights, as shown in FIG. 5. Theflights may be axially recessed from each end of the line. A relativelyshort axial spacing of, e.g., 8 inches between the downstream end of theliner and the downstream end of the flights ensures that productdischarged from the drum assembly 16 desirably is substantially at thesame horizontal position as the axis of the rotating drum. This hasparticular advantages over prior art drums which discharge producthorizontally from this axis and thus alter the central axis of theproduct flow plan. The soft liner cushions the product as it is tumbled.The liner may be manually cleaned by hand within the rotating drum, ormay be removed for a wet cleaning operation. The drum 74 itself ispreferably fabricated from stainless steel. It is largely the weight ofthe drum 74 that limits the size of the system that can incorporate withand linearly move with the conveyor tray 42. The liner 88 may easily beremoved and replaced with another liner during periodic cleaning ofother equipment within the seasoning system. A liner stop 75 as shown inFIG. 2 may be provided for controlling the position of the forward edgeof the liner 88 with respect to the non-rotating tray 44. Compared to astandard rotating drum which utilizes a stainless steel drum, the linerof the tumble drum according to the present invention may be made withplastic which, due to its characteristics, inherently provides acushioned interface for the rotating product, thus resulting in reducedproduct breakage.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 3, the tray or pan of the conveyor 14 has asemicircular configuration. Either the entire length of the tray may beuniform in configuration, or a transition piece may be provided alongthe length of the tray so that the tray terminates in a semi-circularconfiguration. The non-rotating tray thus butts against rotating liner88 secured to the cylindrical tumble drum 74, which may be rotated bythe drive motor 72. The rotating drum 74 may thus pass under the tray ofconveyor 14. This system thus couples a rotating pan or tumble drum witha reciprocating pan. Seals may be used between the reciprocating pan andthe rotating and reciprocating pan. Module 15 as shown in FIG. 1 thusincorporates desirable features of a linear motion conveyor to result ina combination conveyor and tumble drum system.

[0075] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the tumble drum 88 preferably providesfor a reversing flight design. Four circumferentially spaced elongaterib members 84 may be provided, each of which is secured to orpreferably formed as part of the otherwise sleeve-shaped liner 88. Eachrib 84 may have a flight 85 at a selected angle, and a flight 86 atanother selected angle. The product will thus be engaged by the flights85 when the drum 74 and the liner 88 are thus rotated in one direction,and will engage flights 86 when liner 88 is rotated in the otherdirection, with rotation being achieved by the reversible drive motor72. Each of the flights 85, 86 may be set at a selected angle for properseasoning blend with minimum product breakage. In a particularembodiment, the flights may be fixed yet provide two predeterminedangles, thereby allowing for reversed tumble action on previously saltedor unseasoned products and reducing product breakage. In an exemplaryembodiment, each rib may have a flight 85 which resides within a planepassing through the center of the rotating insert 88, and another flight86 angled as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Flight face 85 may thus have a 70to 80 degree face for highly tumbling product, while the flight 86provides a degree face for relatively light tumbling of the product whenthe rotation is reversed. The reduced lift flight may be used, forexample, when tumbling unseasoned products.

[0076]FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative seasoning system 11 according tothe present invention, which utilizes two linear motion conveyor trays94, 96, each driven by a single drive mechanism. As explainedsubsequently, the drive mechanism moves the two trays simultaneously,with product going in opposite directions, as illustrated in FIG. 6. Inthis seasoning system 11, product may be delivered to the upper tray 96by a conventional distribution system, and preferably a system equippedwith a proportional gate such as gate 97 powered by motor 91. Preferablythe width of both the upper pan 96 and the lower pan 94 is sufficientlywide to allow the product to be spread thinly on the trays. The drivemechanism shown in FIG. 6 may thus be sized for reciprocating the lowerpan 94 but may otherwise generally have components as shown in FIG. 2and discussed above. Supports 60 and 58 thus support the lower pan 94 inthe same manner that these components supported the pan 44 shown in FIG.2. Another pair of pivotal supports 90, 92 thus reciprocate the upperpan 96. The seasoning tray 100, 112 may thus be fixed to respective pan96, 94, and thus may evenly distribute seasoning on the product, asshown in FIG. 6.

[0077] A single drive unit as shown in FIG. 6 may thus move the productthrough an entire seasoning operation. The weight of the tray 96 incombination with seasoning tray 100 may be controlled so that the uppertray 96 effectively provides for the counterweight to minimize thevibration and knocking. A counterweight 66 as shown in FIG. 2 thus neednot be provided for the seasoning system as shown in FIG. 6, since theweight of the tray 96 may provide part or all of the purpose served bythe counterweight 66. Also, those skilled in the art will appreciatethat, if desired, the spray nozzles 103 and the seasoning tray 112 couldbe provided directly under the upper tray 96, so that the length of theupper and lower trays were substantially equal.

[0078] As the product travels to the right in the upper pan 96, itsdepth is measured by the ultrasonic sensor 108 or other suitablevolumetric measuring device. This volume depth, when combined with aknown pan width and producttravel rate, thus effectively determines theinstantaneous volume of the product being handled by the system at thelocation of the sensor. This volumetric measurement may be compared tothe volume required by the scale or other downstream equipment 40, andthe proportional gate 97 automatically adjusted to meet the systemrequirements. The product volume determination also preferablydetermines the amount of spray (if required) and the required amount ofseasoning.

[0079] Pressurized oil may be provided in header 102 and sprayed fromthe plurality of spray nozzles 104. Auger 106 applies seasoning toseasoning tray 100 which distributes seasoning on the top layer of thechips. The chip layer is turned by the u-plate 98, which is preferablyfixed to the tray 96 and thus moves relative to tray 94. A relativelyshort spacing of from ⅛ inches to ½0 inches, and preferably about ¼inches, vertically separates the lower surface of plate 98 and the uppersupporting surface of the tray 94. The mechanism 98 thus turns the chipsupside down, so that the underside of a chip now becomes the top of thechip which may be sprayed from nozzles 103 fed by header 110, withseasoning being applied from seasoning tray 112 supplied by auger 114.The deflector 98 thus causes the product to be turned over, exposing theunseasoned side. The product is conveyed to the left on the lower pan94, where the exposed side is then oiled and seasoned. In the seasoningsystem, oil spray may thus be applied in two different areas so that thecombination of seasoning stage 1 and seasoning stage 2 effectivelyseason both sides of the chip. Fully seasoned product is then ready tobe delivered to downstream equipment 40, such as scale or packagingequipment. Oil spray and seasoning augers may be automatically adjustedto meet the desired requirements for both the upper tray 96 and thelower tray 94, with control signals provided by a control panel 150 witha computer 156.

[0080] The seasoning system 11 as shown in FIG. 6 utilizes inherentadvantages of a horizontal motion conveyor and a specially designedseasoning pan, as discussed below, to convey the seasoning to theproduct. The entire seasoning module 11 may be packaged as a single unitwhich takes up little space. The desired horizontal motion eliminatesseasoning build up, which in turn eliminates the need for an additionaldrive mechanism, while allowing the seasoning module to be easilyremoved for cleaning.

[0081] The deflector 98 thus caused the 180 degree turn loops theproduct over so that a second application of seasoning can be applied tothe other side of the chip. To make the turn accurately, the product hasa thin cross section, and thus the use of wide pans are important toprovide a small bed depth of product to obtain even dispersion. Linearmotion conveyors are particularly well suited for making the turn with arelatively simple deflector 98. Belt conveyors do not allow the productto be accurately turned and therefore will not turn over a highpercentage of the chips. Vibratory conveyors could be used instead oflinear motion conveyors, but vibratory conveyors tend to build up withseasoning. If desired, hood or hat 160 as shown in FIG. 6 may beprovided over the top of the trays 94, 96 to prevent any product fromfalling onto the trays and protecting the product as it moves throughthe seasoning operation.

[0082] As shown in FIG. 6, the upper and lower product trays move thegoods in a reverse direction, and both product trays are powered by thesame drive mechanism. In less desired embodiments, a separate drivemechanism may be provided for each of the product trays, which wouldallow the seasoning product to move in the same direction along theseasoning system. Nevertheless, the product deflector would still beused for inverting the product as it passed off the upper product trayand was input to the lower product tray. The seasoning system 11 asshown in FIG. 6 has substantial advantages in that no rotating drum isnecessary to season the food product.

[0083] Until this point, the seasoning pans 32, 100, 112 as shown inFIGS. 1 and 6 could each be understood as being a simple rectangular panattached to the respective product pan. The preferred embodiment of theinvention achieves more even distribution of seasoning over the productby using a more complex seasoning pan, such as that depicted in FIG. 7or as discussed below for alternate embodiments. To prevent seasoningfrom breaking up into small bunches with void areas between the bunches,the auger 102 preferably deposits the seasoning on an inverted v-shapeddownwardly and longitudinally inclined seasoning deflector 108 whichpreferably has two triangular-shaped sides 116 each sloping both in theforward or longitudinal direction and toward one of the sides of theseasoning tray floor 122. The two triangular sides 116 of the deflector108 meet along ridge line 128, which is preferably aligned with thecentral axis 126 of both the seasoning tray and the product tray. Theseasoning tray 123 thus has a supporting floor 122, conventional sides100, 120 and upstream end 119, which are simplistically shown in FIG. 6.The tray 123 provides for a “curtain” of seasoning to be applied on theproduct moving along the product tray 96 by using the combination ofdividing deflector 108 and an inclined angle discharge edge 124. Thebias cut 124 in the seasoning pan floor 122 and deflector 108 evenly anduniformly distribute seasoning on the product moving in the producttray, such as tray 96 shown in FIG. 7.

[0084] The seasoning tray 123 is secured to and thus reciprocates withthe product tray 96. The bias cut 124 is preferably angled at from about30 degrees to about 60 degrees relative to the axis 126. The seasoningtray as shown in FIG. 7 thus achieves quality dispersion of seasoning bypreventing seasoning stratification.

[0085] A suitable tray may be approximately 36 inches wide, and may beable to reliably season product at the rate of one or two thousandpounds of seasoned product per hour. The higher capacity system withrotating drums as shown in FIG. 1 may be able to handle in excess offour thousand pounds or more of product per hour.

[0086] The seasoning system as disclosed herein may benefit fromimproved flow leveler technology for obtaining a uniform height ofproduct moving along the product conveyor, such as that disclosed inU.S. application Ser. No. 09/251,516 filed on Feb. 17, 1999. The traysmay be removably attached to the drive mechanism by a quickclamp/release mechanism, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,757. Thelinear motion conveyor system offers additional accumulation capacitywhich allows for continuous seasoning runs to accommodate intermittentdownstream equipment shutdown. A linear motion conveyor with a preferredaccumulator feature is disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 09/235,971filed on Jan. 22, 1999 and hereby incorporated by release.

[0087] The seasoning system of the present invention allows theequipment to be automatically and efficiently operated since the volumeof product in the system may be easily determined at any desiredlocation. The linear motion conveyor system thus provides for a reliableproduct volume determination being handled by the system at any point,which directly relates to the area of the product desirably covered bythe seasoning.

[0088] With respect to the trays 14 and 28 as shown in FIG. 1, it shouldthus be understood that the tray 14 along its entire length may have asemi-circular configuration, so that the rounded tray fits over arotating drum with a slightly larger diameter with the drum 16 bothrotating and reciprocating. In tray 28 as shown for the module 35 may bea flat bottom tray since the drum 36 does not reciprocate with the tray28. In either tray design, the elevation of the uppermost product beingmoved along the tray represents the depth of the product, and thusallows the sensors 26, 34, 108, 110 to effectively measure the volume ofthe product being conveyed. Measuring the volume with these sensors ishighly reliable compared, for example, to measuring volume of productmoving on a belt conveyor, since the product on belt conveyors may havehigh peaks and valleys and not be leveled out in a manner inherent in alinear motion conveyor. Moreover, measurement of depth of the productmoving along a linear motion conveyor is a much more accurate indicationof product volume than when product is conveyed on a vibratory conveyor,since the travel rate of product along a vibratory conveyor variessignificantly compared to the substantially uniform travel rate commonlyassociated with linear motion conveyors.

[0089] Those skilled in the art should appreciate that the seasoningmodule 35 could incorporate a linearly reciprocated tumble drum similarto tumble drum 16 as shown for the mixing module 15. This latterembodiment would be desirable since the module 15 as shown in FIG. 1 isa single assembly which performs its desired function on the product ata constant level, while the inclined tumble drum 36 inherently has adischarge lowerthan its input. The product drop in vertical heightrequired by some equipment, such as tumbler 36, may affect the overallheight of the installed food process handling system, particularly inapplications where the processing plant has a limited ceiling height.The tumble drum 36 may mix chips and sealing at a higher flow throughcapacity than a horizontal reciprocating tumble drum.

[0090]FIG. 8 discloses an alternate embodiment of a seasoning tray 130for uniformly depositing seasoning on product moving along tray 94 inthe direction shown. As with the previously disclosed embodiment, thetray 130 may be rigidly secured to the linear motion tray 94, and thusis driven by the conveyor drive mechanism previously disclosed. Theseasoning tray 130 may thus be supplied with seasoning from auger 114.

[0091] As shown in FIG. 9, the seasoning tray includes a planar floor132, a side 134, and an angled reinforcing member 136. As shown in FIG.9, the supporting surface 138 of the floor 132 of the seasoning tray maybe inclined at a selected angle 140 relative to a horizontal plane. FIG.8 depicts that the back surface 134 of the seasoning tray is inclined ata selected angle 135 with respect to a line perpendicular to themovement of product along the tray 94. By selectively controlling theangles 135 and 140, the seasoning may be uniformly distributed acrossthe width of the tray 94. Preferred angles 140 and 135 will depend uponthe type of seasoning, stroke of the conveyor 94, and other factors. Inmost applications, the angle 140 will be less than 10 degrees, and theangle 135 will be less than about 20 degrees. The angle of dischargeedge 137 with respect to the back plate 134 may be from about 10 degreesto about 30 degrees.

[0092]FIG. 10 depicts another embodiment of a seasoning system 13according to the present invention which is similar in some respects tothe embodiment shown in FIG. 6. Accordingly, components not discussedhere and with respect to FIG. 10 will serve the purpose discussed above.

[0093] Chips are fed to the upper tray 96 from an upstream conveyorwhich preferably includes a proportional gate 97 which may be controlledby drive motor 91. Sensor 108 senses the depth of the product on tray96. The conveyor which contains the proportional gate 97 is preferably alinear motion conveyor as described herein. Support arm 142interconnects the linear motion conveyor with the seasoning tray 144which supplies seasoning to product moving along the tray 96. If an oilspray is desired, the support arm 142 may also support the header 102which includes a plurality of spray nozzles 104. Similarly, the support146 interconnects the linear motion conveyor with the seasoning tray 148which supplies seasoning to product moving along the tray 94. Oil fromheader 110 may be sprayed onto the chips on tray 94 by one or more spraynozzles 103. An advantage of the seasoning system 13 compared to theseasoning system 6 is that the seasoning trays 144 and 148 may have arelatively small width of three or four inches yet reliably suppliesseasoning to the product moving along the trays 96, 94 which are thirtyinches or more in width.

[0094]FIG. 11 depicts the seasoning tray 144 in greater detail.Seasoning is supplied to the tray 144 from an auger 106. The seasoningtray 144 includes a planar floor 162, a backplate 164, and strengtheningroof plates 166 and 168. Roof plates 166 and 168 are one form of a hoodwhich protects the seasoning moving along the seasoning tray floor. Asshown in FIG. 11, hole 170 may be provided in the backplate 164 forreducing the weight of the tray and facilitate cleaning. A seasoningtray with floor 162, backplate 164, and plates 166 and 168 may be formedfrom stainless steel sheet metal which is bent to obtain the desiredconfiguration. Alternatively, welding can be used to fabricate theseasoning tray.

[0095] If desired, seasoning from the auger 106 may first be centralizedwith respect to the floor 162 by block 172 which provides planarsurfaces 174 and 176 which meet along valley line 178 to centralize theproduct being deposited on the seasoning tray. Although a block 172 isdepicted, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the centralizermay also be formed from sheet metal, if desired to reduce weight.

[0096] Referring again to FIG. 10, it should thus be understood that theseasoning tray 144 will be reciprocated with the upstream linear motionconveyor, and thus moves in the direction indicated in FIG. 11. Theangled edge 182 of the tray floor 162 thus results in a “curtain” ofseasoning being deposited on the chips moving along the product tray. Asshown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the tray floor 162 may have a width of, forexample, 3.5 inches, although the length of the tray floor 162 is thirtyinches or more, depending on the corresponding lateral width of the tray96. A similar seasoning tray 148 is provided for providing a curtain ofseasoning on product moving along the tray 94.

[0097]FIG. 12 depicts a modification of the seasoning tray shown in FIG.11. Seasoning which drops off the angled edge 182 thus falls on theplate 184 which may be positioned, for example, ¾'s of an inch below theplate 182. Support 188 interconnects the floor 182 with the lower floor184. Seasoning thus drops off the inclined edge 182 onto the plate 184,then drops off the inclined edge 186 of plate 184 onto the product. Ifdesired, a plurality of tiers may thus be provided so that seasoningdrops onto the lower plate and is more evenly distributed beforedropping onto the product tray.

[0098] A further modification to the seasoning tray as shown in FIG. 13.In this modification, a substantially vertical dispenser plate 190,which in some embodiments may be inclined rather than vertical, ispositioned below the floor 162 and supported by a plurality of brackets192 which interconnect the floor with the plate 190. Seasoning thusdrops off the edge 182 and falls onto the upper edge 194 of thedispersion plate 190, so that some seasoning fall on the left side ofthe plate 190 while other seasoning falls on the right side of the plate190. Multiple dispersion plates positioned at different levels orelevations could be provided, if desired.

[0099] Yet another modification of the seasoning tray as shown in FIG.14, where product drops off the inclined edge 182 of the planar floor162 and falls onto the dispersion bar or rod 194. Dispersion bar 194 issupported from the seasoning tray by the supports 192, and has aninclined axis 196 which is parallel with the inclined edge 182. Productthus falls off the edge 182 down to the rod 194, some seasoning dropsoff the left side of the dispersion bar 194 while other seasoning dropsoff the right side of the rod 194. The dispersion bar may alternativelybe an elongate member having a different cross sectional configuration.An elongate dispenser bar having triangular cross sectionalconfiguration, with the apex of the triangle dividing seasoning to theleft side and the right side of the dispersion bar, is thus alsocontemplated by the present invention.

[0100]FIG. 15 depicts yet another embodiment of a seasoning tray whichis similar to the FIG. 12 embodiment, except that the plate 184 isreplaced with plate 213 which has a sinusoidal shaped front surface 210and a similarly shaped rear surface. The purpose of the sinusoidalsurfaces is to further insure that seasoning is uniformly distributed onthe product. It must be remembered that the tray floor 162 isreciprocating in the direction shown in FIG. 11. The surfaces 212 and214 of the front surface 210 and similar surfaces of the back surface ofthe tray thus engage product as it drops off tray 162 to propel some ofthe seasoning in angled direction to further insure good distribution ofseasoning on the chips.

[0101]FIG. 16 is still another embodiment of a seasoning tray 144according to the present invention which is similar to the FIG. 11embodiment. Seasoning drops off the inclined edge 182 of the floor 162and onto the shaft 224, which is rotated by drive motor 216. The drivemotor and the seasoning tray 144 may be interconnected by suitablesupport 218. Two or more brackets 192 may support guide sleeves 220 and222, which thus acts as simplistic bearings for the rotating shaft 224.FIG. 16 also depicts that the shaft 224 has a plurality of grooves 226therein. As seasoning drops off the inclined edge 182, some of theseasoning drops onto the shaft and then drops onto the product, whileother seasoning falls in one of the grooves 226. Since shaft 224 isrotating about axis 226, seasoning which falls within the grooves gets“propelled” by the motion of the rotating shaft, thereby again insuringthat seasoning is reliably distributed on the product.

[0102] It should be understood that the seasoning trays as shown onFIGS. 11-16 may be used in the seasoning system as shown in FIG. 10, andalso may be used as the seasoning tray which supplies seasoning to theproduct within the inclined tumble drum 36 as shown in FIG. 1. Both theseasoning trays and the product trays as disclosed herein may beconfigured for easy cleaning.

[0103] As an alternative to the deflector 108 as shown in FIG. 7, analternate deflector may be a single sheet metal sheet which is bothinclined downwardly and extends between the sides 100 and 120. Thesingle sheet metal deflector may thus have a trailing end which engagesthe side 120 and a leading end which engages the side 100. Thisalternate deflector insures that seasoning is reasonably distributedalong the width of the seasoning tray between the sides 100 and 110, sothat it may continue along the seasoning tray drop off the inclined edge124.

[0104] Referring now to FIG. 17, another seasoning system 310 accordingto the present invention includes a linear motion conveyor 312, aseasoning module 314, and preferably another linear motion conveyor 332and optionally still another linear motion conveyor 334. Those skilledin the art will appreciate that each of the conveyors 312 and 334 mayalternatively be a belt conveyor or a vibratory conveyor. The conveyor332 alternately could be a vibratory conveyor. As shown in FIG. 17,sensor 26 as previously described may be used to measure the depth ofthe product in the tray and thus volume of product moving into theseasoning module 314. The entire operation may be regulated by anoperator control panel 150. If desired, one or more other product volumesensors can be provided in a system for measuring the flowing product atany desired place leading up to, within, or downstream of the seasoningmodule.

[0105] As shown in the FIG. 17, the food product is discharged fromconveyor 312 and into guide shoot 316 for moving through the seasoningmodule 314. The seasoning may be supplied by a seasoning supply unit318, with seasoning being fed by a flow line 320 to seasoning tray unit324, and by a flow line 322 to a similar seasoning tray 326. Preferablythe seasoning trays 324 and 326 thus move with the tray 332. Eachseasoning tray may be constructed according to any of the previouslydescribed embodiments. The discharge from each seasoning tray preferablyis pushed under a relatively low pressure of less than 10 psi by anelongate air knife 328, 330. The air supplied tubes 328 and 330 thusgently blow the seasoning onto the chips as they pass through theseasoning unit. The seasoned food product may than be conveyed by one ormore conveyors to downstream equipment, such as bagging equipment 338.

[0106] Referring to FIG. 18, the flow lines 320 and 322 from theseasoning unit 318 are better shown supplying to the seasoning trays 324and 326. The guide shoot 316 is depicted, and the mechanicalinterconnection of each seasoning tray 324, 326 with the conveyor 332can be better understood.

[0107] The seasoning system as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 thus allows theseasoning product to “free fall” by gravity through the seasoning unit314, with the seasoning ideally uniformly coating both sides of eachchip. FIG. 17 also discloses a suitable air recirculation system 370,including a fan, blower or compressor 372 which outputs air along line374 to the lines 328, 330. Air is thus withdrawn from the seasoning unit314 through suction line 376, and is then filtered by filter unit 378.Filtered seasoning may be output from unit 378 by a supply line 380. Theembodiment as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 thus offers the possibility ofuniformly coating chips and other food products with a seasoning, withthe seasoning system being relatively simple and having a highthroughput rate. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that some foodproducts may have sufficient oil, or otherwise be naturally attracted toseasoning, such that the food product may be directly fed into theseasoning system of the present invention. For other food products, aconventional spray unit may be provided upstream from the seasoning unitfor lightly coating the food product with an oil spray to better attractthe seasoning to the food product. In a suitable application, the airlines 228, 230 may be positioned approximately 2.8 inches from the topof the enclosure 314. Accordingly, those skilled will appreciate thatthe seasoning units 314 may be relatively compact, simple, and highlyreliable.

[0108]FIG. 19 discloses yet another embodiment of a seasoning system 360according to the present invention. Senors 26 and linear motionconveyors 312, 332 and 334 may be similar to the system shown in FIG.17, with the output from the seasoning system similarly going to thedownstream equipment, such as baggers 338. In FIG. 19, enclosure 340 isprovided with a modified guide shoot 342, which includes an internalplate 344 which initially guides the chips, so that the chips slide downramp surface 346 as a layer. Another guide sheet, such as sheet 348 withramp surface 350, is providing for allowing the chips to fall off theramp surface 346 and expose the other side of each chip as it slidesdown the ramp surface 350. While sliding down the ramp surface 346, oneside of each chip may be seasoned from seasoning tray 352, and whilesliding down the ramp surface 350, the other side of each chip may beseasoned from the seasoning tray 354. Seasoning is supplied to the trays352 and 354 by flow lines 320 and 322 as previously discussed. Theadvantage of the system as shown in FIG. 19 is that the food product ismore gently handled compared to the embodiment shown in FIG. 17. Adisadvantage of the FIG. 19 embodiment, however, is that the same sizeseasoning unit has a much lower throughput rate. If desired, air knifes328 and 330 as shown in FIG. 17 optionally may be used in the FIG. 19embodiment.

[0109] Each of the conveyor trays discussed above was disclosed as beinga tray having a horizontal tray or pan floor. If desired, one or more ofthe trays could be inclined to elevate the food product between thereceiving end and the discharge end of the conveyor tray using thelinear motion inclined conveyor technology as disclosed in U.S.application Ser. No. 09/576,013 filed on May 23, 2000.

[0110] It should also be noted that the procedure according to thepresent invention for quality testing is relatively simple, and requiresonly a percentage input into the computer 156 for that product line andrecipe. Quality testing as disclosed herein has significant advantagescompared to a system using a weight-based standard. Volume-based samplesprovide significant benefits, since the varying product density does notaffect the volume calculation. According to the present invention,volume-based samples are taken and are compared to “standard” samplessince the volume-based method is simple and yields the best results.Alternatively, accurate product density measurements could be obtainedon a periodic or preferably a real time basis which, in conjunction withquality control samples taken by a weight basis, may be compared with“standard” samples.

[0111] Various modifications to the seasoning system and to the methodas disclosed herein should be apparent from the above description ofpreferred embodiments. Although the invention has thus been described indetail for these embodiments, it should be understood that thisexplanation is for illustration, and that the invention is not limitedto these embodiments. Alternate components and operating techniques willbe apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this disclosure.Additional modifications are thus contemplated and may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention, which is defined by theclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A seasoning system for coating a food productwith seasoning, comprising: a product tray driven to move the foodproduct longitudinally along the tray; a drive mechanism for driving theproduct tray; a sensor for sensing an upper level of product movingalong the product tray and producing a product feed rate signalfunctionally related to the volume of product being conveyed along theproduct tray; and a seasoning supply unit for supplying seasoning to theproduct moved by the product tray in response to the product feed ratesignal.
 2. The seasoning system as defined in claim 1, wherein the drivemechanism moves the product tray linearly in a slow forward/fastbackward manner to slide the product along the product tray.
 3. Theseasoning system as defined in claim 2, wherein the seasoning supplyunit comprises: a seasoning tray having an angled discharge edge foruniformly distributing a curtain of seasoning to the product.
 4. Theseasoning system as defined in claim 3, wherein the seasoning tray isfixed to the product tray.
 5. The seasoning system as defined in claim3, further comprising: an angled deflector on an upstream portion of theseasoning tray for deflecting product toward both a left side and aright side of the seasoning tray.
 6. The seasoning system as defined inclaim 1, wherein the seasoning supply unit further comprises an augerdriven by an auger motor, the auger motor speed being controlled inresponse to the product feed rate signal.
 7. The seasoning system asdefined in claim 1, further comprising: a proportional gate foradjusting the feed rate of product to the product tray in response tothe product feed rate signal.
 8. The seasoning system as defined inclaim 1, further comprising: a tumbler including a rotating drum havingan inclined drum axis for tumbling the product and the seasoning.
 9. Theseasoning system as defined in claim 8, further comprising: a cross feedconveyor for receiving the product from the tumbler and outputtingproduct to downstream equipment.
 10. The seasoning system as defined inclaim 1, further comprising: another product tray for moving productlongitudinally along the another product tray while a spray mechanismsprays a liquid on the product; and another drive mechanism for drivingthe another product tray.
 11. The tumble seasoning system as defined inclaim 10, further comprising: a rotating drum for rotating sprayedproduct; and a tumbler drive motor for rotating the drum.
 12. Theseasoning system as defined in claim 11, wherein the rotating drum moveslinearly with the another product tray driven by the another drivemechanism.
 13. The seasoning system as defined in claim 11, furthercomprising: a plastic material liner for fitting within the rotatingdrum.
 14. The seasoning system as defined in claim 13, wherein theplastic material liner includes a plurality of inwardly projecting ribseach having first and second flight surfaces for tumbling the rotatingproduct as a function of the rotational direction of the tumbler drivemotor.
 15. The seasoning system as defined in claim 1, furthercomprising: an air supply unit; one or more air knifes for blowing airto move the seasoning relative to the product and thereby coat theproduct with seasoning discharged from the seasoning supply unit. 16.The seasoning system as defined in claim 17, wherein the product fallsby gravity past the one or more air knifes.
 17. The seasoning system asdefined in claim 16, wherein the product falls unobstructed from anupper drop off location past the air knifes and to downstream equipment.18. The seasoning system as defined in claim 16, wherein the seasoningunit further comprises: an upper ramp surface for sliding the foodproduct while coating a side of the food product; and a lower rampsurface for sliding the food product while coating an opposing side ofthe food product.
 19. The seasoning system as defined in claim 18,further comprising: an upper seasoning tray for dropping season onto theupper ramp surface; and a lower seasoning tray for dropping seasoningonto the lower ramp surface.
 20. The seasoning system as defined inclaim 1, further comprising: an operator input panel for inputtingoperator selected parameters; and a computer for controlling movement ofthe product tray and thus the quantity of product moving along theproduct tray in response to the operator input signals.
 21. Theseasoning system as defined in claim 1, wherein the sensor senses anupper level of the product moving along the product tray withoutcontacting the product.
 22. The seasoning system as defined in claim 1,further comprising: a second product tray for moving productlongitudinally along the second product, tray; and a product deflectorfor inverting the product discharged from the product tray and input tothe second product tray.
 23. The seasoning system as defined in claim22, wherein the drive mechanism powers both the product tray and thesecond product tray, and the second product tray moves productlongitudinally in a reverse direction from product movement provided bythe product tray.
 24. The seasoning system as defined in claim 22,further comprising: a first spray mechanism for spraying a first side ofthe product moving along the first product tray; and a second spraymechanism for spraying an inverted side of the product moving along thesecond product tray.
 25. A seasoning system for coating a food productwith seasoning, comprising: a product tray driven to move the foodproduct longitudinally along the tray; a drive mechanism for driving theproduct tray; a seasoning unit for applying a seasoning to the productmoved by the product tray; a sensor for sensing an upper level ofproduct moving along the product tray and producing a product feed ratesignal functionally related to the volume of product being conveyedalong the product tray; and a proportional gate for adjusting the feedrate of product to the tray in response to the product feed rate signal.26. The seasoning system as defined in claim 25, wherein the drivemechanism moves the product tray linearly in a slow forward/fastbackward manner to slide the product along the product tray.
 27. Theseasoning system as defined in claim 25, further comprising: a tumblerincluding a rotating drum having an inclined drum axis for tumbling theproduct and the seasoning.
 28. The seasoning system as defined in claim27, further comprising: another product tray for moving productlongitudinally along the another product tray while a spray mechanismsprays a liquid on the product.
 29. The seasoning system as defined inclaim 25, further comprising: an operator input panel for inputtingoperator selected parameters; and a computer for controlling movement ofthe product tray in response to the operator input signals.
 30. Theseasoning system as defined in claim 25, further comprising: a secondproduct tray for moving product longitudinally along the second producttray; and a product deflector of inverting the product discharged fromthe product tray and input to the second product tray.
 31. The seasoningsystem as defined in claim 30, wherein the drive mechanism powers boththe product tray and the second product tray, and the second producttray moves product longitudinally in a reverse direction from productmovement provided by the product tray.
 32. A seasoning system forcoating a food product with seasoning, comprising: a first product traydriven to move the food product longitudinally along the first tray; adrive mechanism for driving the first product tray linearly in slowforward/fast backward manner to slide the product along the firstproduct tray; a second product tray for moving product longitudinallyalong the length of the second product tray; and a deflector forinverting the product discharged from the first product tray and inputto the second product tray.
 33. The seasoning system as defined in claim32, wherein the drive mechanism powers both the product tray and thesecond product tray, and the second product tray, moves productlongitudinally in a reverse direction from product movement provided bythe product tray.
 34. The seasoning system as defined in claim 32,further comprising: a first seasoning tray for delivering a curtain ofseasoning to the first product tray; and a second seasoning tray fordelivering a curtain of seasoning to the second product tray.
 35. Theseasoning system as defined in claim 34, further comprising: a firstseasoning supply unit for delivering seasoning to the first producttray; and a second seasoning supply unit for delivering seasoning to thesecond product tray.
 36. The seasoning system as defined in claim 35,further comprising: a sensor for sensing an upper level of productmoving along one of the first product tray and second product tray andproducing a product feed rate signal functionally related to the volumeof product being conveyed along the one of the first product tray andsecond product tray; and the output from the first supply unit and thesecond supply unit is controlled in response to the product feed ratesignal.
 37. The seasoning system as defined in claim 32, furthercomprising: an operator input panel for inputting operator selectedparameters; and a computer for controlling movement of the product trayand thus the quantity of product moving along the product tray inresponse to the operator input signals.
 38. A seasoning unit for coatinga food product with seasoning, comprising: one or more moveableseasoning trays each for dispensing seasoning; an input conveyor forsupplying food product to fall by gravity past the one or more seasoningtrays to coat the food product with seasoning.
 39. The seasoning systemas defined in claim 38, further comprising: at least one air knife forblowing compressed air on the seasoning to move the seasoning relativeto the food product to more uniformly coat the food product.
 40. Theseasoning system as defined in claim 39, further comprising: anenclosure for at least substantially housing the at least one air knife;an air supplying unit for supplying compressed air to the at least oneor more air knife; and a flow line for circulating air between theenclosure and the air supply unit.
 41. The seasoning system as definedin claim 40, further comprising: a filter unit positioned along the flowline.
 42. The seasoning system as defined in claim 42, wherein theproduct falls unobstructed from an upper drop off location past the atleast one air knife and to downstream equipment.
 43. The seasoningsystem as defined in claim 42, wherein the seasoning unit furthercomprises: an upper ramp surface for sliding the food product whilecoating a side of the food product; and a lower ramp surface for slidingthe food product while coating an opposing side of the food product. 44.The seasoning system as defined in claim 43, further comprising: anupper seasoning tray for dropping season onto the upper ramp surface;and a lower seasoning tray for dropping seasoning onto the lower rampsurface.
 45. The seasoning system as defined in claim 38, wherein theone or more seasoning tray includes at least first and second linearlymoveable seasoning trays to move seasoning longitudinally along theseasoning tray; and a drive mechanism for driving the first and secondseasoning trays.
 46. The seasoning system as defined in claim 45,wherein the first seasoning tray opposes the second seasoning tray suchthat the first seasoning tray primary coats one side of the product andthe second seasoning tray primarily coats an opposing side of theproduct.
 47. The seasoning tray system as defined in claim 38, whereinthe input conveyor comprises: a linearly moveable product tray driven tomove the food product longitudinally along the tray; a drive mechanismfor driving the tray.
 48. An improved tumble drum for mixing a foodproduct with another food product, the tumble drum comprising: arotating tumble drum for rotating the product and the another foodproduct; a tumbler drive motor for rotating the tumble drum; and anotherdrive motor for reciprocating the tumble drum linearly in a slowforward/backward manner to slide product along the tumble drum andthereby discharge the product from the tumble drum.
 49. The improvedtumble drum as defined in claim 48, further comprising: a product traydriven to move food product longitudinally along the product tray; andthe rotating tumble drum being fixed to the product tray such that thedrive mechanism linearly moves both the tumble drum and the product trayin a slow forward/backward manner to move product along both the producttray and the rotating tumble drum.
 50. The improved tumble drum asdefined in claim 49, further comprising: a sensor for sensing an upperlevel product moving along the product tray and producing product feedsignal function related to the volume of product being conveyed alongthe product tray; and powering the drive mechanism in response to theproduct feed rate signal.
 51. The improved tumble drum as defined inclaim 48, further comprising: a spray mechanism for spraying productwith the another food product within the tumble drum.
 52. The improvedtumble drum as defined in claim 48, further comprising: a plasticmaterial liner for fitting within the tumble drum.
 53. The improvedtumble drum as defined in claim 52, wherein: the plastic material linerincludes a plurality of inwardly projecting ribs each having first andsecond flight surfaces for tumbling the rotating product as a functionof the rotational direction of the tumbler drive motor.
 54. An improvedliner for a tumble drum, comprising: a generally sleeve-shaped tumblerdrum body; a plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs each fixed tothe body, each rib having first and second flight surfaces for tumblingthe rotating product as a function of the rotational direction of atumbler drive motor.
 55. An improved seasoning supply unit for supplyingseasoning to a product, comprising: a seasoning tray having asubstantially planar floor with an angled discharge edge for uniformlydistributing a curtain of seasoning to the product; and a drivemechanism for driving the seasoning tray linearly in a slowforward/backward manner to slide the seasoning along the seasoning tray.56. The seasoning supply unit as defined in claim 55, furthercomprising: an angled deflector on a upstream portion of the seasoningtray for deflecting product toward both the left side and the right sideof the seasoning tray.
 57. The seasoning supply unit as defined claim55, further comprising: the seasoning tray including a tray side on oneside of the floor, the tray floor having a generally triangularconfiguration; and the tray floor having a planar supporting surface ata selected inclination with respect to a horizontal plane for uniformlydistributing seasoning onto the product.
 58. The seasoning supply unitas defined in claim 57, wherein the triangular configuration of thefloor extends laterally across at least a substantial portion of aproduct tray beneath the seasoning tray; and the side wall of theseasoning tray is at a selected angle with respect to a planeperpendicular to a line of product travel along the product tray. 59.The seasoning supply unit as defined in claim 55, further comprising: acentering device having a pair of inclined surfaces for centering theseasoning before engaging the floor of the seasoning tray.
 60. Theseasoning supply unit as defined in claim 55, wherein the seasoning trayincludes a substantially triangular-shaped floor including the angleddischarge edge for uniformly distributing seasoning onto the product;and a dispersion member positioned below the floor of the seasoning trayand secured thereto, such that seasoning drops from the angled dischargeedge of the floor of the seasoning tray and engages the dispersionmember then drops onto the product.
 61. The seasoning supply unit asdefined in claim 60, further comprising: the dispersion member having anon-linear discharge surface, such that product drops off the floor ofthe seasoning tray and engages the dispersion member, and some seasoningengaged by the non-uniform surface of the dispersion member is engagedby the non-linear surface during reciprocation of the seasoning tray fordistributing seasoning on the product.
 62. The seasoning supply unit asdefined in claim 61, wherein the non-linear discharge surface has asubstantially sinusoidal configuration.
 63. The seasoning supply unit asdefined in claim 55, wherein the seasoning tray includes a substantiallytriangular-shaped floor including the angled discharge edge foruniformly distributing seasoning onto the product; and a dispersionplate positioned below the floor of the seasoning tray and securedthereto, such that seasoning drops off the floor of the seasoning trayand some passes to a left side and some to a right side of thedispersion plate onto the product.
 64. The seasoning supply unit asdefined in claim 55, wherein the seasoning tray includes a substantiallytriangular-shaped floor including the angled discharge edge foruniformly distributing seasoning onto the product; and an elongatedispersion bar positioned below the floor of the seasoning tray andsecured thereto, the dispersion bar having a central axis parallel withthe angled discharge edge, such that seasoning drops off the floor ofthe seasoning tray and some passes to a left side and some to a rightside of the dispersion bar onto the product.
 65. The seasoning supplyunit as defined in claim 55, wherein the seasoning tray includes asubstantially triangular-shaped floor including the angled dischargeedge for uniformly distributing seasoning onto the product; a rollerpositioned below the floor of the seasoning tray and rotatable about acentral axis substantially parallel to the angled discharge edge; and aroller power unit for rotating the roller.
 66. The seasoning supply unitas defined in claim 65, further comprising: the roller including one ormore grooves for temporarily receiving seasoning therein.
 67. Theseasoning supply unit as defined in claim 55, wherein the seasoning trayincludes a hood for protecting seasoning moving along the floor of theseasoning tray.
 68. A method of coating a food product with seasoning,comprising: powering a product tray to move the food productlongitudinally along the tray in a slow forward/fast backward manner;sensing an upper level of product moving along the product tray andproducing a product feed rate signal functionally related to the volumeof product being conveyed along the product tray; and supplyingseasoning to the product moved by the product tray in response to theproduct feed rate signal.
 69. The method as defined in claim 68, whereinsupplying seasoning comprises: uniformly distributing a curtain ofseasoning the product.
 70. The method as defined in claim 59, whereinsupplying seasoning comprises: controlling an auger driven by an augermotor in response to the product feed rate signal.
 71. The method asdefined in claim 68, further comprising: adjusting the feed rate ofproduct to the product tray in response to the product feed rate signal.72. The method as defined in claim 68, further comprising: tumbling theproduct and the seasoning.
 73. The method as defined in claim 68,further comprising: powering another product tray for moving productlongitudinally along the another product tray while a spray mechanismsprays a liquid on the product.
 74. The method as defined in claim 73,further comprising: tumbling the sprayed product.
 75. The method asdefined in claim 68, further comprising: inputting operator selectedparameters to a computer; and automatically controlling movement of theproduct tray and thus the quantity of product moving along the producttray in response to the operator input signals.
 76. The method asdefined in claim 68, further comprising: moving product longitudinallyalong a second product tray; and automatically inverting the productdischarged from the product tray and input to the second product tray.77. The method as defined in claim 76, further comprising: spraying afirst side of the product moving along the first product tray; andspraying an inverted side of the product moving along the second producttray.
 78. A method of coating a food product with seasoning, comprising:powering a product tray to move the food product along the traylongitudinally in a slow forward/fast backward manner; applying aseasoning to the product moved by the product tray; sensing an upperlevel of product moving along the product tray and producing a productfeed rate signal functionally related to the volume-of product beingconveyed along the product tray; and adjusting the feed rate of productto the tray in response to the product feed rate signal.
 79. The methodas defined in claim 78, further comprising: powering another producttray for moving product longitudinally along the another product traywhile a spray mechanism sprays a liquid on the product.
 80. The methodas defined in claim 78, further comprising: inputting operator selectedparameters to a computer; and automatically controlling movement of theproduct tray in response to the operator input signals.
 81. The methodas defined in claim 78, further comprising: powering a second producttray for moving product longitudinally along the second product tray;and inverting the product discharged from the product tray and input tothe second product tray.
 82. The method as defined in claim 81, whereina single drive mechanism powers both the product tray and the secondproduct tray, and the second product tray moves product longitudinallyin a reverse direction from product movement provided by the producttray.
 83. A method of mixing a food product with another food product,the method comprising: rotating the product and the another food productin a tumble drum; and reciprocating the tumble drum linearly in a slowforward/backward manner to slide product along the tumble drum andthereby discharge the product from the tumble drum.
 84. The method asdefined in claim 83, further comprising: driving a product tray to movethe product longitudinally along the product tray; and fixing the tumbledrum to the product tray such that both the tumble drum and the producttray move in a slow forward/backward manner to move product along boththe product tray and the tumble drum.
 85. The method as defined in claim84, further comprising: sensing an upper level product moving along theproduct tray and producing product feed signal function related to thevolume of product being conveyed along the product tray; and poweringthe drive mechanism in response to the product feed rate signal.
 86. Themethod as defined in claim 83, further comprising: spraying the productwith a liquid.
 87. A method for supplying seasoning to a product,comprising: powering a seasoning tray linearly in a slowforward/backward manner to slide the seasoning along the seasoning tray,the seasoning tray having a substantially planar floor with an angleddischarge edge for uniformly distributing a curtain of seasoning to theproduct.
 88. The method as defined in claim 86, further comprising:deflecting product toward both the left side and the right side of theseasoning tray.
 89. The method as defined in claim 86, furthercomprising: the seasoning tray including a tray side on one side of thefloor, the tray floor having a generally triangular configuration; andinclining the tray floor at a selected inclination with respect to ahorizontal plane for uniformly distributing seasoning onto the product.90. The method as defined in claim 86, further comprising: centering theseasoning before engaging the floor of the seasoning tray.
 91. Themethod as defined in claim 86, wherein the seasoning tray includes asubstantially triangular-shaped floor including the angled dischargeedge for uniformly distributing seasoning onto the product; andpositioning a dispersion member below the floor of the seasoning tray,such that seasoning drops off the floor of the seasoning tray and somepasses to a left side and some to a right side of the dispersion memberonto the product.
 92. A method of coating a food product with seasoning,comprising: powering a product tray to move the food productlongitudinally along the tray; sensing an upper level of product movingalong the product tray and producing a product feed rate signalfunctionally related to the volume of product being conveyed along theproduct tray; supplying seasoning to the product moved by the producttray in response to the product feed rate signal; periodically testing aselected volume of seasoned product with a standard; and altering atleast one of the food product volume moving along the product tray andthe seasoning rate applied to the food product in response to a periodictest.
 93. The method as defined in claim 86, wherein the product tray ismoved linearly in a slow forward/fast backward manner to slide theproduct along the product tray.
 94. The method as defined in claim 92,wherein supplying seasoning comprises: uniformly distributing a curtainof seasoning to the product.
 95. The method as defined in claim 92,wherein altering the food product volume comprises: adjusting the feedrate of product to the product tray in response to the product feed ratesignal.
 96. The method as defined in claim 92, further comprising:inputting operator selected parameters to a computer; and automaticallycontrolling movement of the product tray and thus the quantity ofproduct moving along the product tray in response to the operator inputsignals.
 97. The method as defined in claim 92, further comprising:spraying a first side of the product moving along the first producttray; and spraying an inverted side of the product moving along thesecond product tray.